Freeburg is expected to be awash in red, white and blue this morning to greet the arrival of The Moving Wall, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Escorted by the Illinois Patriot Guard Riders, the half-scale version of the famed Washington, D.C., monument will leave at 8 a.m. from Frieze Harley-Davidson in O'Fallon and make its way to town via Green Mount Road and Illinois 13/15.
Residents have been asked to line State Street to salute the procession as it makes its way to Freeburg Recreation Park, where the wall will be set up and displayed around the clock from 3 p.m. today until 10 a.m. Monday.
Sheila Gallagher, of Freeburg, figures it's the least people can do to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the long conflict in Southeast Asia. Gallagher herself has seen the wall five times -- twice in the nation's capitol along with three visits to replicas -- and is still awed by it.
"A lot of my friends have friends and family on the wall," said Gallagher, who runs Gallahger's Getaway in Freeburg. "And, I know a lot of Vietnam veterans. I wanted to bring it to Freeburg so that everybody around here could get a chance to view it, too, to honor their brothers and sisters and fallen families and friends who are no longer with us."
So, last October, Gallagher, a board member of the Freeburg Chamber of Commerce, suggested the organization host an exhibit of The Moving Wall. In a short time, the $4,500 fee had been raised and offers of help started pouring in to help stage the event.
"The VFW, the American Legion, the Vietnam veterans motorcycle club, businesses in Freeburg and Smithton," said Gallagher, rattling off the list of volunteers. "The carpenters local is building the platform. I could go on and on about how much everybody's doing for us. It's been spectacular."
She couldn't have picked a more noteworthy year for the display. When the original wall was dedicated in 1982, Vietnam vet John Devitt was so struck by its "positive power" that he vowed to share the experience with those unable to make the trek to Washington.
So, he, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver and other vets built The Moving Wall, a 250-foot-long replica filled with the names of the 58,000 American war dead, including about 1,300 still considered mission in action. It was displayed for the first time in 1984 in Tyler, Texas, making this its 25th anniversary year.
Since then, The Vietnam Combat Veterans Ltd. has added a second half-scale replica. The two structures now travel the country from April through November, spending about a week at each site.
Opening ceremonies will be at 6 p.m. today, complete with a posting of color, the playing of "Taps" by Andy Voelker, of the Freeburg High School Band, and a performance of "Amazing Grace" by the Ainad Highlanders bagpipes group. Vietnam veteran Paul Braun and U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello will speak.
Tthroughout the weekend, Gallagher and her large band of volunteers will be at the park to greet what she hopes will be large crowds wanting to view the wall. She says they are well-prepared for the hot weather that is forecast to hit Saturday.
"The weather scared me this morning when I heard that," she said Tuesday. "I'm like 'Noooooooo!' But we have parking for the disabled and golf carts and air-conditioned campers. And we'll have water available at all times and plenty of finger desserts, so we'll have plenty to keep everybody cooled off."
Closing ceremonies, featuring talks by state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld and Vietnam vet Ken Morrow, of Springfield, will be at 6 p.m. Sunday. The wall, however, will be open until Monday morning. Volunteers will be on hand to help visit locate specific names.
For more information on The Moving Wall, go to www.themovingwall.org.
At a glance
What: The Moving Wall, a half-scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Where: Freeburg Recreation Park
When: 3 p.m. today through 10 a.m. Monday. (Will arrive with a procession through town at about 8:15-8:30 a.m. today.)
Admission: Free.
Ceremonies: Opening ceremonies with U.S. Rep Jerry Costello and Vietnam veteran Paul Braun at 6 p.m. today. Closing ceremonies with state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld and Vietnam veteran Ken Morrow at 6 p.m. Sunday.
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